The past year and a half has been difficult for all health care professionals and we’re thankful for the sacrifices they’ve made for our communities. We spoke to three mesothelioma nurses to ask how they’ve coped, what they find most rewarding about their job and what they’re looking forward to when they’re able to take some much needed rest time.
Mesothelioma and lung cancer nurse specialist nurses Helena Stanley and Anne Moylan spoke to us on International Nurses Day, alongside Lorraine Creech, head of nursing at Mesothelioma UK.
After one of the toughest years the NHS has ever seen, we joined countless others to recognise mark International Nurses Day on 12 May – the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth. It was a chance to take the time to thank all the wonderful care staff who make it their vocation to treat, care for and supporting people in need and their families.
How has the pandemic affected your job?
Anne: There have been many challenges while working through COVID-19. During the first wave of coronavirus I was called back to the wards, and having not done that type of work for over two decades it was a big transition at first, due to the new technology and the changes that have been made over the years. However you never forget the basic nursing skills that you learn at the beginning.
All of the nursing teams were really short-staffed and we had to adapt quickly and work in a slightly different way. It was very tiring - I think we’re all really tired.
Helena: The biggest challenge has been for the people that we treat. Delivering news to them over the phone or video call removes the human touch and not seeing their family when they’ve been in hospital must be really tough. I’m proud I’ve been able to help and support people through this pandemic.
Lorraine: The pandemic has severely impacted people who have vulnerable immune systems and have had to spend much of the past year isolating – it’s been tough to witness the people I treat going through this. People in hospital have not been able to have visitors, which has also been very difficult on everyone’s morale. Many consultations have been either via telephone or video call and we’ve missed out on being alongside people to support them when they need it most.
What do you find most rewarding about your job as a mesothelioma nurse?
Anne: I have absolutely loved being a nurse; I’ve been able to work in a variety of roles. With some self-direction and motivation you really can achieve amazing things in nursing. The thing I try to get across to the students we have on placement with us is that there are so many roles within nursing, it’s so varied.
Lorraine: The part that I love most is being with patients and carers at a time when they need you most. I try to be as supportive to them as I possibly can. This could be when my patients are at the extreme edge of human existence, when they want to talk and/or when they need someone to help them navigate care and treatment.
What’s the hardest part of your job?
Lorraine: When it doesn’t go right for people, when care and expectations of the patient and carer can’t be met or aren’t met for whatever reason. I think most professionals and individuals who dedicate their careers to caring want to do everything they can to make things better, and at times where this is out of our control, that becomes the hardest part of our job.
Anne: I think one of the most difficult things about being a lung cancer nurse is resilience; it’s hard to work with people with such a life-changing illness, and I know at first that that affected me mentally, quite greatly. Over the years you do learn your coping strategies, however during COVID-19 a great difficulty has been that a lot of those support and coping methods have been taken away; things like meeting up with friends and family or going out for a meal.
What are you looking forward to the most once all the restrictions are lifted?
Lorraine: My family are the most important and biggest achievement in my life. We’ve been able to talk on the phone each day, but seeing them and being with them will be a lovely, joyous moment.
Anne: I do think people have struggled greatly, I can see it in my colleagues, in all departments across the Trust. But hopefully things are moving in a more positive direction. I’m looking forward to the simple things really; being able to see my family, spending time with my grandson, and just being able to do things that at one point seemed perfectly normal and I think we took for granted.
Thank you to Helena, Anna and Lorraine for giving us an insight into their work over the past year. We’re grateful to all nurses for the incredible work they do for our communities.
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